2. I have no idea about dry rub - doesn't seem like it would be very good, as it would come off in the deep fryer (see #1) or would just be outside with no chance to really flavor the wings.

3. I buy chicken wings, cut up, and frozen. Brand doesn't matter, you'll occasionally get a marginal bag no matter what brand you get. I go for low price. Hey, I usuallly make at least 12lbs.

4. I can give you the basic ingredients for my sauce - I can't give you a recipe. There isn't one. If somebody wants to measure the next time I make a batch, there will be a recipe - but I change it a bit every time.

ok, so how I do it:

Prepare the sauce first. It needs to simmer a while, probably at least an hour.

Texas Pete hot sauce. I usually use about a 32 ounce bottle, divided between hot and mild sauces.

MSG. Yes, it's in my wing sauce. No, you aren't allergic to it, MSG allergy is a myth. No, you CAN NOT leave this out. The wings WILL NOT taste right without it. And if you have a problem with sodium in your diet, there's enough salt in the Texas Pete to kill you anyway. You don't need much.

Granulated garlic. Don't skimp.

Cinnamon powder. Doesn't take much. Just a bit.

Butter. Don't try to play health food by using margarine, it's not as good, and wings ARE NOT health food anyway.

Olive oil. This, along with the butter, is the heat regulator. More oil = less hot.

Cajun spice mix. I know, mixes are cheating, but the Tone's one is perfect for this. It's kind of hot, adjust to taste.

Oragano. Jut toss a bit in.

Cayenne pepper. Makes it hotter.

Black pepper.

Other spices. Hey, no two batches of my wings are ever the same. Grab a spice jar. Sniff. If it smells like it should be in the wings that night, use some. Always keep a good selection of spices in your cabinet, just in case you need them.

White vinegar. Use if you need to thin the sauce.

Molasses. I don't always use it. Sometimes I'm in the mood.

Simmer on low heat (really usually somewhere between the warm and low setting on your stove) until it's ready. You want it to thicken a bit. If it's too thick, mix in some vinegar.

Hot batch only:

Start with the same stuff you put in the mild batch. Use less oil & butter. MUCH less oil and butter. Don't leave it out, though - it would taste wrong.

You're going to need a hot sauce with some serious heat, I use one with at least some distilled oleoresin capsaicin, like Nuckin Futs. Careful with this, it can really hurt if you screw up.

I also tend to grind up some dried habaneros. You want a fine grind, not giant chunks.

Cook the hot batch longer and on just a bit higher heat. You're trying to get it thicker than the mild batch. Once it's the desired thickness, turn it down.

Wings:

DO NOT BREAD YOUR WINGS!

Put thawed wings into hot deep fryer. Cook until done (floating wings is a good indicator that they're at least close.)

Put cooked (and still very hot) wings into a container with your warm sauce. Close lid (make sure your sauce pot has a lid, and that it can be held on) and SHAKE WELL. You want to coat the wings thoroughly.

Remove wings from sauce, and serve. It's generally polite to indicate which batch is hot.

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